Prepayment gas-meter.



PATENTED MAR. 3v, 1908.

B. G. WAGGNER. PREPAYMBNT GAS METER.

APPLICATION FILED APE.27,1907.

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No. 880,767. f PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908. B. G. WAGGNER.

PREPAYMBNT GAS METER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 27. 1907.

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BENJAMIN G. W'AGGNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PRE-PAYMENT GAS-METER.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

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To all'whom 'itmc'fy concern: n Y Be it known that1I',BENJAMi'N G. WAGGN'ER,

ajcitiz'en Vof' the UnitedStates, and a resident o'f Philadel hia, in the countyof'Philadelphia and tate of Pennsylvania, Vhave'invente'deertan new and useful lImpr@'vertiente inIrep' ayment Gas-Meters', ofY which" the' following is a specification.

In the'operationof'pre ayment gas meters it' 'frequently happens t Aat the registering mechanism showsthe consumption 'of' more' gas' than is represented by the value of the coins which are found in the meter. rIhis might imply dishonesty on the part of the collector of coins, butitfre" uently happens because'the gas valve is not tightly closed, so that gas asses through the meter, and this is possih e'beca'use the gas drives the coin actuated'train of parts inthe vsame direction that they would be driven by a coin; in other words', the coin driven train of parts is advanced throughthe action of gas traversing the meter, because the valveis permittedfto remain' open by reason of this advancing motion of the coin driven train.

It isthe principal object of the present invention to obviate this difiiculty and to cause the valve to positively close at the proper time, or else'to break or derange some ofthe parts of the meter, and this breakage or derangement clearly indicates that in such cases the cause of the shortage of coins is the failure of the device and notr the dishonesty or negligence of the collector.

To this and other ends hereinafter set forth the invention stated in general terms comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which Figure 1, is an elevational view principally in section of coin receiving mechanism provided with parts embodying features of the invention. Fig. 2, is a sectional view taken on the line a-'-a of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3, is a similar view showing the parts in diil'erent position. Fig. 4, is a top or plan view principally in section illustrating portions of the meter and showing features of the invention. Fig. 5, is an elevational view showing portions of the meter illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 6, is a sectional view of certain of the parts shown in Figs'.4 vand 5, andFig. 7, is aview'illusti'ating the'gas valve; j

In'the drawings l, is a knob 'arranged tobe turned backwardy and forward' through a half revolution. Internally it is provided1 with-a shank 2, slotted so asY to receiveand carry a coin 3, in Vsuch position that portions ,ofthe coin project. This knob is connected means Vof gearv wheels 4, with a revoliible shaft 5, that has an opening throu'ghi't so that whena coinis inserted'through theslot 6, it falls through the opening inthe shaft, and is received by the shank ofthe-knob V1'. The gear wheel 7, is provided with afhiib 8, that has projecting from it a pair fp'ins, 9', between which the coin passes so`that when the coin has beenv inserted it is carried'by'the shank ofthe knob 1, and since it is in between the pins 9, it follows that when theknob is turned the coin acts las a coupling vbetween the knob and the wheel 7, so thatthe latter is turned. A half revolution of thev knob brings the coin opposite thevslot 10, through which it freely falls into a proper receptacle. 11, is a detent which' prevents retrograde motion of the wheel 7. These parts are not inthemselves new and they or their equivalents are common in mechanism'for this purose.

The wheel 7, when it is turned through the intervention of a coin and by the movement of the knob 1, acting! through an idler wheel 12V and pinion 13,A drives the screw 14. YThe turning of the screw 14', shifts the nut 15 carried by it toward the right in Fig. 4, thus opening the gas valve 16, because the nut l5 amounts to a carriage 17 which carries a projection 18 that cooperates with a cam shaft arm 19 connected as by a shaft 20 with the arm 21 that carries the valve 16. The carriage 17, carries a toothed -wheel 22, that meshes with a long pinion 28, driven as by a shaft and worm gearing 24, from the registering shaft of the meter.. After the gas valve 16, has been opened through the coin driven parts, which have been described, gas passing 'through the meter causes the pinion 23 to be revolved and the pinion 23 turns the wheel 22, which causes the carriage to travel back on its screw until the part or projection 18, cooperating with the part 25 o the lever 19, closes the valve 16. The mechanism last described is not in itself new and is typical only of the general kind of mechanism that is used in a prepayment meter.

It is evident that if the valve 16 should stick and not close or should otherwise remain open for any cause, gas will continue to pass through the meter and if this should happen the arm 19, would hold the carriage, but the gas would drive the pinion 23 which would drive the wheel 22, but since the carriage is held it may not move and the turning of the wheel 22 rotates the screw 14, which in its turn would drive the Wheel 7 in advancing direction 5 that is to say, in the same direction that it is driven by a coin. However, in accordance with my invention this may not occur because the Wheel 7 is held against any turning motion in an advancing direction except that imparted to it by a coin. I accomplish this by providing the wheel 7, or as shown in the drawings its hub 8, with teeth, 28 of which two diametrically arranged are shown. I also provide a pawl or detent A26, pivotally mounted and normally solicited or driven by a spring 27 into engagement with or into position for engaging these teeth 28. The pawl 26 is provided with a tail or projection 28a disposed in the line of travel of the exposed portion of a coin as it is carried around when the knob 1 is turned. When a coin is in position and the knob 1, is turned the exposed portion of the coin not only lies between the pins 9, but also runs under the tail 28a and as the knob 1, is turned lifts the tail 28a, thus lifting the pawl 26 and permitting the wheel 7 to move'in an advancing direction. Upon the completion of this movement, any further substantial movement of the Wheel 7, is prevented by the pawl 26, so that if the valve 16, should not close tightly and the carriage should be run back, that is toward the left in Fig. 4, the screw 14 could not be dri ven and under these conditions either one or two things would happen either the valve 16 would be forced to close, or else something would have to break, bend or become distorted. In the first case the operation of the meter would not be interfered with and in the second case it, would be apparent that something had gone wrong and that the coin collector had not stolen any of the coin contents of the meter. The provision of means which prevent advancing motion of the wheel 7, or I may say of the coin driven train permits of the advantageous use of a valve 16, having a soft face 29 and a sharp seat 30, because enough pressure can be applied to the valve to surely close it down on its seat, it being understood that if the coin train were free to run in an advancing direction as much pressure could not be applied to the valve as can be done when the described provisions are present.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a prepayment gas meter the combination of a manually operated carrier adapted to carry a coin with a portion thereof eX- posed, a gear wheel which is provided with means that are engaged by the coin and by which advancing motion is imparted to the wheel, a ratchet wheel provided with a pair of diametrically arranged teeth and connected with said gear wheel, and a pawl tending to engage said teeth and prevent advancing motion of said gear wheel and provided with a projection operatively arranged in respect to the coin, whereby the latter when the knob is turned lifts the pawl and permits of advancing motion of the gear wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name. Y

BENJAMIN G. WAGGNER.

Witnesses:

W. J. JACKSON, FRANK E. FRENCH. 

